The Toronto Student Transportation Group is an initiative between both the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board. Our goal is to ensure the health and safety of our students through various modes of transportation and to help families make informed decisions regarding their transportation choices when accessing education here in Toronto.
Spotlight
Covid 19 and School Bus Safety
As the Toronto School Boards prepare to return to school this September we wanted to highlight some of new protocols and procedures that will be in place on the school bus.
● Before every trip, bus drivers, students, parents and staff must self-assess for any COVID-19 symptoms. All students and drivers who experience symptoms must self-isolate and stay home. If a child develops symptoms while at school, he/she will not be permitted to return home on a school bus and must be picked up by a parent/guardian or provided a safe alternate means of transportation.
● ALL STUDENTS will be required to wear non-medical masks on school buses. Exceptions will be made for students with medical conditions or special needs.
● Special care and attention will be given to supporting students with special education needs. Some children may not be able to use masks or may have medical or other special circumstances that require accommodations. Please inform the principal and transportation department of any accommodation requirements as soon as possible.
● School bus drivers will be required to wear medical masks and/or face shields when students are entering and exiting the bus.
● Students will be assigned seats on the bus. Students who live in the same household or who are in the same classroom cohort will be seated together.
● Enhanced cleaning for high touch surfaces (e.g. seat tops and inside hand railing) will be performed before and after each shift, as well as in between runs. Frequency of general cleaning and deep cleaning will also be increased.
● Whenever possible, windows will be opened to increase ventilation on the bus.
● Hand sanitizer will be made available on the bus, and drivers will use sanitizer before and after assisting a child to their seat (if applicable), touching wheelchairs or other assistive devices, or having other direct contact with children, as needed throughout a trip and where gloves are not able to be used.
● Signage will be displayed on buses to reinforce the importance of wearing masks, staying six feet apart where possible (e.g. lining up for the bus, boarding and disembarking), using good hand hygiene and not going into the aisles or congregating near the driver.
● We have prepared 5 short videos that captures this information above to ensure safety of the students and drivers on the bus.
Current News
School bus service will start on Monday, September 21. Due to restrictions in place by Toronto Public Health, you must be registered for the school bus and assigned a seat in order to use the service on Monday. A number of new registrations have not yet been processed so it is important that you have alternate transportation options available early next week until we have your child assigned. All registrations must be done through the school. While our carriers have assured us that they have enough drivers for Monday, the first days of student transportation each year can present challenges as routes and lists are confirmed so delays are possible, although we are working hard to keep them to an absolute minimum. Please sign up for the transportation portal at torontoschoolbus.org to receive e-mail notification of delays or visit the site to see if your bus route may be impacted. Please keep your school updated if you have issues with your transportation services and we will work to address as quickly as possible.
The first week of school brings challenges and issues for both families and bus drivers alike. Please be patient while we work though issues that arise. Don't forget to check the delay portal in the event a bus is running late. Bus Operators will do their best to keep this updated if there are delays on bus routes. Week one - Transportation only for students with special needs. Week two - all other services will start pending driver availability.
Information
- Letter – TSTG Covid Update August 14 2020
- Letter – TSTG Covid Update July 2020
- Spring 2020 Newsletter
- Parent Letter August 30 2019
- Parent Letter August 27 2019
- TSTG Spring 2019 Newsletter
- TSTG Fall 2018 Newsletter
- New parent guide to transportation
- Safety Guide for School Children & Parents
- Access To Education
- Parent Safety Program (Kiss n Ride)
- Preparing Your Child for Using Public Transit Safely
- Purple Equals Parent Program
- Transportation Brochure
- Transportation Brochure For Students With Special Needs
- Safe Streets Guide 2016
- TSTG Policy Operation Manual revised 2018
- Toronto Effectiveness and Efficiency Report 2011
- Auditor General Report 2015
- Ontario Ombudsman Report on Student Transportation
Fast Facts
- Number of buses: 1816
- Number of students transported: 56,617
- Total distance traveled: 71,241 km
- Annual budget: $90 M
- Number of carriers: 7
- Change requests each September: 1400
